Suzette Martinez Standring: Chilean miracle, atheists stop grumbling

Had the Chilean disaster occurred in the United States, would the miners have returned to the surface holding Bibles and wearing scripture-printed T-shirts?

Suzette Martinez Standring

With a wondrous working-together of faith and technology, the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners is celebrated worldwide. However, it is the ‘faith’ part that has set many in the atheistic ranks to grumbling.

They complain that engineers, psychologists and workers have set the bar in global cooperation and shared expertise, so why does God get all the credit? What about God¹s hand (or lack of one) in the Chilean earthquake that killed 500 people earlier this year?

No believer or non-believer can ever answer fully the questions of the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of God. But what has been documented is that the miners held their faith to be a life-saving factor when they were buried alive for 69 days, 2,300 feet under a desert after a mine collapse.

Studies have shown that people of faith have better coping abilities during catastrophes because they place their trust in God, whom they believe to be all-powerful. They also understand that while prayers don¹t guarantee a successful outcome, a mindset of peaceful surrender and a conviction of God¹s presence can create courage and give the afflicted the comfort of not feeling all alone.

This proved to be a tangible solace among those trapped underground. One trapper miner, Jimmy Sanchez, 19, wrote of their two-month entombment, “There are actually 34 of us because God has never left us down here.”

Modern technology achieved success, yet to believe a higher hand doled out the gifts of intellect, ability and perfect timing on those connected with the rescue is not unreasonable. Science and religion are not mutually exclusive in this event. No doubt the men drew comfort from knowing the finest minds and the best machinery worked continuously on their behalf.

But it is also clear that faith played a significant part in their survival. At the request of the miners, Bibles measuring 3 inches by 5 inches were sent down along with magnifying glasses for easier reading. Each book was inscribed, “We are praying for your return.”

Reportedly, biblical passages like Psalm 40, which was bookmarked for them, gave the miners comfort and hope: "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."

After two months, the rescued men emerged wearing T-shirts that read on the front, “Gracias, Senor,” which Chileans understood to mean, “Thank you, Lord.” On their backs was a line from Psalm 95:4: "In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him."

Chile is an overwhelmingly Christian (89% Roman Catholic) country. A high percentage of Americans also profess to be Christian. But, had the disaster occurred in the United States, would the miners have returned to the surface holding Bibles and wearing scripture-printed T-shirts (given the lawsuits and the controversy that dogs something as simple as singing “O, Holy Night” at a public school concert)?

The jubilant praises to God in Chile and the resounding chorus worldwide from people of faith are not statements of superiority. Such expressions “steal” nothing from skilled professionals and committed volunteers. Given a million things that could have gone wrong that no one man or woman could have foretold or prevented, it is appropriate to echo those miners who emerged back into the light and said, “Gracias, Senor.”

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